As sporting activities become more performance oriented, the demands placed on sporting equipment become more sophisticated. The technical requirements for athletic shoes used in such events have tended to evolve in lock step with the advancement of such activities. Toward this end, various designs for athletic shoes, and more particularly designs for shoe closure systems have been developed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,866, issued to Prengler on Sep. 24, 1996, illustrates athletic footwear having a hinged rear entry and associated fastening system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,432 issued to Bunch et al. on Oct. 14, 1986 shows an athletic shoe with a lace closure disposed along the side of the shoe rather than in a central location. U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,497, issued to Ciudad on Mar. 14, 1989, describes a sport shoe incorporating a series of flexible strips on the vamp of the shoe connected together with elastic material, providing a lace-less entry system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,882, issued to Berger on Jan. 12, 1993 illustrates a shoe with a central fastener used to secure a rigid instep cover which is drawn to the shoe upper with a series of cables.
In addition to these various closure mechanisms, a number of patents address methods for attaching the shoe upper to the sole. U.S. Pat. No. 2,444,640, issued to Epstein on Jul. 6, 1948, describes a zipper-type closure for attaching different toe enclosing portions of the upper to the sole. A similar system is used in U.S. Pat. No. 2,200,080, issued to Fein on May 7, 1940, to attach the entire upper to the sole of the shoe. U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,346, issued to Lockard et al. on Sep. 7, 1965, illustrates a groove and matching, sliding projection system for attaching the upper to the sole portion.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide an athletic shoe offering easily adjustable support to the wearer's ankle. It is a further objective of the invention to provide a means for the wearer to quickly put on and remove the shoe. It is a still further objective of the present invention to provide protection to the wearer's toes and forefoot from impacts to the upper surface of the shoe. It is yet a further objective of the invention to provide an athletic shoe with a unique and attractive appearance. While the prior art shoes examined provide a variety of useful features, none answer the requirements of the present invention.